The Auswine Forum

Can anyone reccomend some very good glasses and a decanter to me and where to get them at an acceptable price? Are Riedel the best? Worth the $? Are there glasses/Decanters for young/mature wines?

Thanks

The best there is;

Stems: SCHOTT ZWEISEL "TOP 10" Matured Red

pic: http://www.brentwoodwine.com/schott_topten.html

Decanter: Riedel Ultra Single

pic: http://www.brentwoodwine.com/riedel_decanters.html

Schott Zweisel are very good glasses.

My decanter style choice is the turn decanter, I think there's more than one manufacturer.

Actually, I've got the riedel Ultra Single and while it is a absolutely stunning vessel, I'd recommend the duck version over it. It's great for aerating and looks amazing but quite a pain to pour from. It's much easier to pour from the duck style decanters and the riedel one is fantastic - if you can afford it.

I have almost the full range of riedel vinum range but again it's a matter of whether you have the money to burn. I've got mine over a range of years, present, tastings, purchases and voucher exchanges. Others swear by the Speigelau range and they are more like six for the price of one riedel. Also, the riedel overture range is cheaper and the sommelier range is more expensive. Really, it's just up to how much you want to spend and how often you break glasses.

One thing is for sure though, the glass shape does make a difference to the way the wine tastes. I've done a couple of Riedel masterclasses and the difference is very noticeable.

You didn't say where you are but Peters of Kensington and Victoria's basement in Sydney both have pretty good prices.

the Riedel Ultra decanter is excellent but it's pricey. there are plenty of copies that look exactly like the real thing.

I wouldn't spend arm and a leg for decanter...as long as one has a wide opening for airation and wide bottom for bigger contact surface-
that all one needs. You can get them in US for about $10-15 US and decanting even younger wine DOES make a HUGE difference 9 out of 10 times.

I've got half a dozen decanters of various shapes and sizes.

One thing common- they all stain the same!

Don't let anyone tell you a jug or a fishbowl a good decanter- had no luck with either!

Here's another question along the decanter lines. Let's say you don't finish all the wine you've decanted and want to save the rest for another day. Would you keep the wine open in the decanter, or maybe put it back in the bottle and close it up with either the cork or a vacuseal?

Mike
We usually aim to put the remainder into an empty half bottle & then recork. I guess this is better if it might be up to a week (or more) before you get back to it. If it's to be finished the following day I'd probably leave it in the decanter. No science to back this up, but it works for me.
Ian

Mike M wrote:Here's another question along the decanter lines. Let's say you don't finish all the wine you've decanted and want to save the rest for another day. Would you keep the wine open in the decanter, or maybe put it back in the bottle and close it up with either the cork or a vacuseal?

if I even SUGGEST to leave wine once opened for another day,
my better half would file for divorce

Serge, so that's your better half, huh? Methinks maybe the little lady has other frisky motives in mind. Forget about that savor for later thing? Where in the States? I live outside Chicago.

Ian, thanks for the comment. I've seen a number of earlier comments on the forum suggesting sometimes folks will go back to tasting opened wines over a few days to see how those wines develop or change. I've sometimes finished a bottle over 2 days, especially some of the bigger reds, but didn't know if there was a right or wrong way to do that. I bought a vacuseal in Italy that I have been using on such occasions, but the thought of keeping the wine in the decanter overnight never occurred to me.

Mike M wrote:Serge, so that's your better half, huh? Methinks maybe the little lady has other frisky motives in mind. Forget about that savor for later thing? Where in the States? I live outside Chicago.

Ian, thanks for the comment. I've seen a number of earlier comments on the forum suggesting sometimes folks will go back to tasting opened wines over a few days to see how those wines develop or change. I've sometimes finished a bottle over 2 days, especially some of the bigger reds, but didn't know if there was a right or wrong way to do that. I bought a vacuseal in Italy that I have been using on such occasions, but the thought of keeping the wine in the decanter overnight never occurred to me.

Sorry, Mike M,
can't discuss the "friskie" part,
ot offends the members.

Boca Raton, Florida,
where snow removals are free

Ian S wrote:Mike
We usually aim to put the remainder into an empty half bottle & then recork. I guess this is better if it might be up to a week (or more) before you get back to it. If it's to be finished the following day I'd probably leave it in the decanter. No science to back this up, but it works for me.
Ian

You really think the half-bottle method can keep up to a week? I never tried to keep it that long. I know it works for a couple of days.

JuiceCowboy wrote:

Ian S wrote:Mike
We usually aim to put the remainder into an empty half bottle & then recork. I guess this is better if it might be up to a week (or more) before you get back to it. If it's to be finished the following day I'd probably leave it in the decanter. No science to back this up, but it works for me.
Ian

You really think the half-bottle method can keep up to a week? I never tried to keep it that long. I know it works for a couple of days.

If you can fill to the top leaving no air, then store in the fridge, definitely.

Works well with smaller screwcapped soft drink bottles.

Really age worthy wines I have left 4 days simply putting the cork back in each time, room temperature, worked a treat, well it did for 99 Hanisch.

Day 3 singing, day 4 still lovely.

It's all about keeping oxidation to a minimum. I find 375ml & 300ml screwcap bottles ideal, just fill them to the very top, refridgerate them and they'll keep indefinitely. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that's slowed by cooling the wine down.

The only times it can be a bit dodgy is when you've had a wine in a decanter for some hours and it's already had a good dose of oxidation before you half bottle it.

707 wrote:It's all about keeping oxidation to a minimum. I find 375ml & 300ml screwcap bottles ideal, just fill them to the very top, refridgerate them and they'll keep indefinitely. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that's slowed by cooling the wine down.

The only times it can be a bit dodgy is when you've had a wine in a decanter for some hours and it's already had a good dose of oxidation before you half bottle it.

Even better are those 187ml bottles now from Windy Peak and Jaob's creek. They're stelvin caps and I've kept heaps of them! I open a bottle and ionstead of pouring nto 375ml, just pour into two 187mls and, wuhla, even less oxidation and temp change for one bottle.

JuiceCowboy wrote:

Ian S wrote:Mike
We usually aim to put the remainder into an empty half bottle & then recork. I guess this is better if it might be up to a week (or more) before you get back to it. If it's to be finished the following day I'd probably leave it in the decanter. No science to back this up, but it works for me.
Ian

You really think the half-bottle method can keep up to a week? I never tried to keep it that long. I know it works for a couple of days.

Certainly had wines that have lasted a week & been drinking well, but I think it does help if you can fill the (half) bottle to reduce the air.

Ian

Thanks a lot to everyone for their input. Lots of good and helpful hints, especially those about the screwcaps. Never thought about that. It's all part of the wine education and appreciation process. And thanks to 707 for introducing me to this forum. As a Yank, we don't have the access to the special drops you folks in OZ have, but it's still interesting to read the posts and try to learn from them. Cheers dears!!

Serge, why would you want to live in sunny FLA? As we speak/type, we're getting some of that beautiful white stuff, maybe up to 2 inches here in the Windy City. That's 50mm to all you metric folks, doan cha know??

Mike M wrote:
Serge, why would you want to live in sunny FLA? ?

Not to worry,
we are heading to NYC next week and to paris from there just for the snow expereince


After living in USSR for 22 years and NYC for 20,
I don't miss the snow at all

Vashe zdorovie, comrade